Guinean Authorities Announce Conde's Victory In Elections

Guinea-Conakry’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced on Saturday the victory of President Alpha Conde in the elections of October 18 with 59.49% of the votes, against 33.50% of his rival, Cellou Dalein Diallo, whose party had already denounced "large-scale fraud".

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The president of the commission, Cabinet Cisse, presented the results that would allow President Condé to serve a third term. The election results come after a series of clashes that left at least 10 dead in a week.

Supporters of the two leading candidates, Conde, 82, and Dalein Diallo, 68, faced off in the capital, Conakry, and in several African cities.

The violence began in the afternoon of Monday, October 19, a few hours after Dalein Diallo declared himself the winner of the elections during a press conference organized at the headquarters of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG).

In a message published on social networks, Condé launched a "call to all, to calm and serenity while waiting for the result of the electoral process underway in our country.”

Then he added: "If the victory comes to me, I remain open to dialogue and available to work with all Guineans."

Attention is now turning to the Constitutional Court, which is expected to approve the results before President Conde takes office.

"This is a victory for Guinea," Conde said on his official Facebook page shortly after his re-election, which must be ratified by the Constitutional Court. " Hand in hand (walking) towards what is essential: the well-being of the populations in peace and harmony", added the president.

Opposition leader Cellou Diallo has promised to challenge the results in court for what he calls "fraud.

The announcement of the results that gave Alpha Conde the winner in the first round of the presidential election came when the Internet and social networks were blocked in the African country.